DOI Artikel:
Gieysztor-Miłobędzka, Elżbieta: Nabożeństwo czterdziestogodzinne a sztuka
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48708#0022
ELŻBIETA GIEYSZTOR-MIŁOBĘDZKA
ting (Weil), contemporary theatre (Bjurstróm), and
finally, to the influence of the Devotion on the se-
mantic conception of the altar (Noehles). Having pre-
sented the rudimentary characteristics of the Devo-
tion (together with its theological typology), the
author showed it mainly in the context of the ar-
tistic organisation of the church interior. It also
helped her illustrate broader historical and theoreti-
cal problems arising in the study of doctrinal and
liturgical rules, of the evolution of the form of the
church’s „static” artistic structure and in the study of
the relationship between that form and church ritual.
The above context sheds some light on why, how
and when the association between liturgy and fine
arts became possible; conseąuently, it also makes it
easier to follow, in consecutive stylistic phases, the
analogies between the occasional decoration of the
Theatrum Sacrum and the composition of the church
interior.
The Devotion of the Forty Hours has also drawn
the author’s attention as the focus of all the essential
features of the contemporary cultural and liturgical
system, as a materiał manifestation of the contem-
porary understanding of symbolization in church, and,
finally, as a significant phase in the history of church
theatre and scenography. As far as the history of the
Devotion and its spread are concerned, of particular
importance was the role of the preaching congrega-
tions, i.e. the Franciscans, Barnabites and mainiy
Jesuits. It is characteristic that the Devotion evolved
from the Christological motif of the Passion — from
the watch at the Easter Sepulchre (beginning of
the 13th century) to the Eucharistic one (i.e. the
Devotion in front of the displayed Sacrament in the
"Milan” stage in the 16 th century); it was after-
wards that, together with the post-Trent „explosion”
and further visualization of the Eucharist cult, the
Sacrament was centrally placed on the high altar (in
a tabernacle or monstrance) in accordance with the
CounciTs resolutions.
The above assumptions of the cult defined an ex-
ternal character of the ceremony — static adoration
opposes the mobility of the represented event (eg.
Sacrum Triduum of liturgical drama). Assignation of
the constant visual centre (i.e the place occupied by
God) caused the hierarchically organized interior com-
position be directed towards that point; this can be
seen in the best artistic realizations of the Forty Hour
Devotion. The contemporary liturgy combined the
ezoteric symbolic message with a morę literał illu-
stration, which madę the representation morę com-
prehensive. The Forty Hour Devotion exemplifies the
problem of conveying the meanings divided by awrio-
us artistic expressions, which led the mind „from
visible objects to imńsibleones” (Tesauro), „through
the succeeding stages of images and similarities”
(Pseudo-Dionisius) to the supreme sense, a mystical
Sanctissimum like in exegetic stratification of mea-
nings.
The constant visual centre (Sanctissimum) was
defined by architecture and scenography after both
disciplines had mastered the mathematical rule of
central perspective and methods of illusion; however,
their association with liturgy in the homogenous con-
ception of the church interior was madę possible only
together with the appearance of the baroąue conse-
cutive stage, when the elements of place and time
in church theatre became stable. In Baroąue, the
growing possibility for various artistic techniąues to
change and find their identity led to a uniform con-
figuration of contents and form. It was after the
Theatrum Sacrum had left the church that the in-
terior decoration and furnishing could take over the
function of occasional decoration; sińce ca. 1700,
however, the emphasis had been shifting from didactie
content to formal matters.
Ephemeral art is known to have been ąuicker in
embracing formal novelties than the morę stable art.
Nonetheless, the ąuestion of its influence and, con-
seąuently, that of theatre’s influence is sometimes
exaggerated in view of the apparent similarity of
forms, resulting from the appearance of a new type
of professional artist. The latter was to cultivate
various techniąues and create multi-functional works,
which contributed to the above-mentioned changea-
bility of artistic "genres”. The Forty Hour Devotion
was of great conseąuence for both the generał con-
ception and particular motifs. For example, the motif
of the angels raising or supporting the tabernacle with
the Eucharist which illustrated the description in
the Ezodus and met the reąuirements of Carlo Bor-
romeo, constituted the ideological and compositional
centre of the artistic setting of the Devotion and was
in its turn popularized by it (just like the form of
a canopy). That motif is known to have been applied
in tabernacles and it became popular in the growin-
gly universalist art of High and Late Baroąue. Its
model interpretation for altarpiece paintings has been
attributed to Bernini (Castelgandolfo, 1660—1661) who
shares the merits of establishing the artistic pattern
of the Devotion (the Pauline Chapel of the Vatican
Pałace — 1628) with Cortona (S. Lorenzo in Damaso
— 1633). The latter’s artistic itinerarium, in turn, led
him through the edifices which contained the altars
with paintings raised by angels.
Occasionaly the artistic structure of the Forty
Hour Devotion was exactly copied in the altar itself.
This was the case of the altar from the Cistercian
church in Oliwa (1688) where the Devotion was ce-
lebrated in great splendour. That work, executed un-
der the influence of Bemini, reveals together with
its colonnade and the magnificent glory of the clouds
the same iconographic and formal programme.
Translated by Piotr Paszkiewicz
14
ting (Weil), contemporary theatre (Bjurstróm), and
finally, to the influence of the Devotion on the se-
mantic conception of the altar (Noehles). Having pre-
sented the rudimentary characteristics of the Devo-
tion (together with its theological typology), the
author showed it mainly in the context of the ar-
tistic organisation of the church interior. It also
helped her illustrate broader historical and theoreti-
cal problems arising in the study of doctrinal and
liturgical rules, of the evolution of the form of the
church’s „static” artistic structure and in the study of
the relationship between that form and church ritual.
The above context sheds some light on why, how
and when the association between liturgy and fine
arts became possible; conseąuently, it also makes it
easier to follow, in consecutive stylistic phases, the
analogies between the occasional decoration of the
Theatrum Sacrum and the composition of the church
interior.
The Devotion of the Forty Hours has also drawn
the author’s attention as the focus of all the essential
features of the contemporary cultural and liturgical
system, as a materiał manifestation of the contem-
porary understanding of symbolization in church, and,
finally, as a significant phase in the history of church
theatre and scenography. As far as the history of the
Devotion and its spread are concerned, of particular
importance was the role of the preaching congrega-
tions, i.e. the Franciscans, Barnabites and mainiy
Jesuits. It is characteristic that the Devotion evolved
from the Christological motif of the Passion — from
the watch at the Easter Sepulchre (beginning of
the 13th century) to the Eucharistic one (i.e. the
Devotion in front of the displayed Sacrament in the
"Milan” stage in the 16 th century); it was after-
wards that, together with the post-Trent „explosion”
and further visualization of the Eucharist cult, the
Sacrament was centrally placed on the high altar (in
a tabernacle or monstrance) in accordance with the
CounciTs resolutions.
The above assumptions of the cult defined an ex-
ternal character of the ceremony — static adoration
opposes the mobility of the represented event (eg.
Sacrum Triduum of liturgical drama). Assignation of
the constant visual centre (i.e the place occupied by
God) caused the hierarchically organized interior com-
position be directed towards that point; this can be
seen in the best artistic realizations of the Forty Hour
Devotion. The contemporary liturgy combined the
ezoteric symbolic message with a morę literał illu-
stration, which madę the representation morę com-
prehensive. The Forty Hour Devotion exemplifies the
problem of conveying the meanings divided by awrio-
us artistic expressions, which led the mind „from
visible objects to imńsibleones” (Tesauro), „through
the succeeding stages of images and similarities”
(Pseudo-Dionisius) to the supreme sense, a mystical
Sanctissimum like in exegetic stratification of mea-
nings.
The constant visual centre (Sanctissimum) was
defined by architecture and scenography after both
disciplines had mastered the mathematical rule of
central perspective and methods of illusion; however,
their association with liturgy in the homogenous con-
ception of the church interior was madę possible only
together with the appearance of the baroąue conse-
cutive stage, when the elements of place and time
in church theatre became stable. In Baroąue, the
growing possibility for various artistic techniąues to
change and find their identity led to a uniform con-
figuration of contents and form. It was after the
Theatrum Sacrum had left the church that the in-
terior decoration and furnishing could take over the
function of occasional decoration; sińce ca. 1700,
however, the emphasis had been shifting from didactie
content to formal matters.
Ephemeral art is known to have been ąuicker in
embracing formal novelties than the morę stable art.
Nonetheless, the ąuestion of its influence and, con-
seąuently, that of theatre’s influence is sometimes
exaggerated in view of the apparent similarity of
forms, resulting from the appearance of a new type
of professional artist. The latter was to cultivate
various techniąues and create multi-functional works,
which contributed to the above-mentioned changea-
bility of artistic "genres”. The Forty Hour Devotion
was of great conseąuence for both the generał con-
ception and particular motifs. For example, the motif
of the angels raising or supporting the tabernacle with
the Eucharist which illustrated the description in
the Ezodus and met the reąuirements of Carlo Bor-
romeo, constituted the ideological and compositional
centre of the artistic setting of the Devotion and was
in its turn popularized by it (just like the form of
a canopy). That motif is known to have been applied
in tabernacles and it became popular in the growin-
gly universalist art of High and Late Baroąue. Its
model interpretation for altarpiece paintings has been
attributed to Bernini (Castelgandolfo, 1660—1661) who
shares the merits of establishing the artistic pattern
of the Devotion (the Pauline Chapel of the Vatican
Pałace — 1628) with Cortona (S. Lorenzo in Damaso
— 1633). The latter’s artistic itinerarium, in turn, led
him through the edifices which contained the altars
with paintings raised by angels.
Occasionaly the artistic structure of the Forty
Hour Devotion was exactly copied in the altar itself.
This was the case of the altar from the Cistercian
church in Oliwa (1688) where the Devotion was ce-
lebrated in great splendour. That work, executed un-
der the influence of Bemini, reveals together with
its colonnade and the magnificent glory of the clouds
the same iconographic and formal programme.
Translated by Piotr Paszkiewicz
14